The expansion of the Internet and the World Wide Web (“web”) has given computer users the enhanced ability access a large variety of digital content. The digital content can take many types of forms, including media. For example, the digital content may be media that a user may listen to and watch through their computers. The digital content may also be media that the user creates on the user's computer, and then “uploads” to another computer, such as a server, in order to share with other users. This media can be in the form of audio music, music videos, television programs, sporting events or any other form of audio or video media that a user wishes to watch or listen to.
The Internet allows users to experience content, share content, download content, upload content and create content. The Internet is often, therefore, used as a tool to distribute and copy content, sometimes illegally or in violation of rights owned in that content. For example, music piracy using the Internet is a significant problem for owners of rights in music. Another example, is the violation of copyrights in images that are easily copied and reformatted using the Internet.
Effective enforcement is difficult using the Internet because enforcement relies on identification of content that is violating rights. Most search engines rely on text tags, and therefore, it is difficult to locate automatically content that might be copied or used in violation of rights. Additionally, a search engine that relies solely on text tags of a content file to confirm a violating content file's existence will miss a content file that has been renamed. Thereby a potential infringer may use a content file with near impunity by renaming the file.
While a user may be encouraged to use a file wantonly by the inability to find the owner of the file, that user may also be deterred from using a file by the fear of being subject to legal sanctions for use in violation of the owner's rights. Digital rights management (DRM) systems and methods exist to control access to content files. Such DRM systems and methods may be tailored to specific uses and/or players. DRM systems often restrict access to content files by disabling the content for play (i.e. perception) on disallowed players, or by disabling the recording of the content onto certain types of media (e.g., copying music onto a CD).